Black Cowboy, Wild Horses: A True Story by Julius Lester
Black Cowboy, Wild Horses: A True Story
by Julius Lester
Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Dial Books (1998)
Keywords: mustang, horses, cowboys, African American
The true story of Bob Lemmons, a former slave turned cowboy, Black Cowboy, Wild Horses: A True Story is alive with metaphor and movement. The reader travels with Bob as he tracks and is accepted into a herd of wild mustangs. Bob challenges the stallion and wins control of the herd, eventually driving them back to the ranch and into the corral without incident. The reader is quickly drawn in to Lester’s visual language and waits with baited breath to see what happens when Bob attempts to join the herd and when a colt is bitten by a rattlesnake. Herds of wild mustangs gallop through the clouds near the end of the book as Bob enjoys a last ride through the open plains toward the ranch.
Teachers can use this book as an excellent example of using metaphor and simile in writing as almost every page contains at least one example of these literary devices. The metaphorical prose teeters on the edge of overuse, but lends a tone of respect and reverence for Lemmons and his way of life. The role of black and hispanic cowboys in the expansion of the west is little known and this book can provide an additional perspective to help children understand the diversity of pioneers who populated the western United States. Children with an interest in horses will find this a unique addition to the reading repertoire. So, while the book does little to explore Lemmons’ life outside of this one experience, it does present a perspective on Western life that is certainly underexposed.
